Commodore Kirk?

[arch101]

Hey they made Janeway a vice-admiral in Nemisis! Ranks work at the speed of the plot. lol

Now you're gettin' it.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Didn't Roddenberry or someone regret not making Kirk a Commodore because it would have made having him on the Enterprise easier to pull off since he could still command it at that rank?

 

[el Chalupacabra]

I like this explanation of a Commodore:

In 1899 the substantive rank of Commodore was discontinued in the United States Navy, but revived during World War II. It was discontinued as a rank in these services during the postwar period, but as an appointment, the title "Commodore" was then used to identify senior U.S. Navy Captains who commanded squadrons of more than one vessel or functional air wings or air groups that were not part of a carrier air wing or air group.

Basically, if Kirk were in command of a mission that included multiple ships, he could be a (and probably would have been appointed) commodore. Unfortunately, the closest on screen example I can think of of Kirk filling the Commodore role was UDC, when the Enterprise and Excelsior were hunting Chang.

Sisko during the Dominion War and Picard during Redemption could also qualify as filling a Commodore role, imho, if the rank still existed in the 24th Century.

 

[C.E. Evans]

^^^
They probably were commodores, but it would have been more of a job description than an actual rank or even a title, IMO. They'd probably be only addressed as commodores by someone being overtly formal...

 

[Timo]

The VOY episode "Equinox" suggests that 24th century Starfleet regulations routinely cover a situation where a single CO controls multiple starships, without a provision or requirement for special commodore status or rank...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[J.T.B.]

I like this explanation of a Commodore:

In 1899 the substantive rank of Commodore was discontinued in the United States Navy, but revived during World War II. It was discontinued as a rank in these services during the postwar period, but as an appointment, the title "Commodore" was then used to identify senior U.S. Navy Captains who commanded squadrons of more than one vessel or functional air wings or air groups that were not part of a carrier air wing or air group.

Basically, if Kirk were in command of a mission that included multiple ships, he could be a (and probably would have been appointed) commodore. Unfortunately, the closest on screen example I can think of of Kirk filling the Commodore role was UDC, when the Enterprise and Excelsior were hunting Chang.

One thing that seems pretty sure about commodore in TOS is that it was an actual rank, which would be different from the current USN usage, which is a courtesy title. USN commodores today wear the insignia of captains and have no extra authority; they would not out-rank a more senior captain, for instance.

Sisko during the Dominion War and Picard during Redemption could also qualify as filling a Commodore role, imho, if the rank still existed in the 24th Century.

Maybe. I would note that in USN practice the title of commodore goes with command of certain organized units. In the event of two or more vessels temporarily operating together for some duty or activity, the senior ship's CO is in charge as Senior Officer Present, but the title of commodore does not come into play. The Royal Navy used commodore as a temporary rank in a similar way: Appointment as a commodore went with certain specified commands and had to come from the Admiralty in London.

--Justin

 

[Skywalker]

It would have been neat. Commodore is a cooler rank than Admiral, anyway.

On the other hand, a Commodore Kirk in TWOK would have meant no "Ad-mee-ral."

 

[Nerys Myk]

Ca-mo-dorrrrrrr